3533/The Happiest New Year

The Happiest New Year
Date of Scene:	31 December 2017
Location:	Times Square, New York City
Synopsis:	Peggy and Steve meet in Times Square for the New Years Celebration and ring in the New Year with a kiss.
Cast of Characters:	Peggy Carter, Captain America

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Peggy Carter has posed:
Despite the chill of the weather, Time's Square is filled with people already gathered for the evenings festivities. There have been a few musical performances already with more planned up until the moment when the ball would drop, signalling the beginning of the next year. The crowds are happy and joyous, the celebrating having been going for a few hours and going to continue well into the night. Once the new year has arrived, the masses of humanity will return to the warmth of their homes in record time but for now, everyone is celebrating.

Amongst the press of bodies are the officers who are tasked with keeping everyone safe during the chaos. There are lines and barricades, officers on foot and horseback. They are keeping people in the areas where they should be, instead of running completely wild in the streets. There are a few people who are not forced into the press of people lined behind the barricades but they are few and far between.

SHIELD personnel are scattered around as well, assisting the local law enforcement. Thanks to them, Peggy is allowed to be out of crowds and moving through the streets. She is bundled up in a heavy coat, a scarf around her neck and gloves on her hands. There is a hat atop her head to help keep the warmth in. She glances down at her watch, knowing it is almost time for her companion for the evening to arrive.

Captain America has posed:
There's lights, there's steam from some of the equipment and the heat it puts off, etcetera, and as you're looking at one bit of drifting mist in the cool wind there's a silhoette walking through before you see the shape of Steve. Not Cap to you, not anything else really, never has really been anything other than Steve. Well, maybe Captain Rogers...but not the silly 'Captain America' identity that was created for marketing purposes, and not the truth of who he is on the inside.

He makes his way out of the fog and smiles, "Hey doll," he says with a grin, as if he's been practicing that all day. And so he walks to you, and pulling his hand out from behind his back there's a single rose. He's dressed in jeans and a sweater, a scarf and a leather jacket on, but otherwise he's not wearign gloves or head wear. He's able to stay warm as he is, cause well, science.

"It's a good thing I checked the weather. I was worried it was going to be cold. If it were any warmer I may have come in a swim suit and flip flops." But he hands you the rose before bending down and placing a kiss on your cheek. "Hi Peggy..."

Peggy Carter has posed:
As she sees that silhouette, Peggy's heart beats a little faster in her chest. There are very few men who could match that shape. As he emerges, her smile appears when she sees that face. The face she fell in love when long before he ever went through Program Rebirth. The man is the one that makes her heart thunder, loud in her ears. It's Steve. It's always been Steve. When she thought she lost him, the picture she kept was not of him after the serum. It was Steve as he had been when she first met him.

"If you were to arrive in that attire, you would cause a riot," Peggy points out in that proper British accent. "Not to mention I would not allow myself to be seen with you." That's one of the biggest lies she has ever told in her life. Then her voice lowers slightly, shifting to a less amused tone. "Thank you for asking me, Steve. I would've avoided Times Square if you had not," she admits.

Captain America has posed:
"Well...I've been here many times growing up. It was always a cool thing. But there was always something missing...something that had that 'wait for next year' sort of element to it. I figured now it may be just a little different," he says, looking to you, clearly identifying you, as the thing that is different. And so he holds out a hand after you take the flower, and he takes your gloved hand and starts to walk into the crowd, as it were. "How long do we have until midnight?" He hadn't checked since he got here, he just knew where he was supposed to meet you. It's a bit of blind luck you weren't waiting too long but at some point later you can remind him about the importance of clocks.

"So just to make sure I have this clear, the two things I have to do to keep you away from me are dress in a swim suit or crash a plane into the Arctic circle. I suppose those are two extremes but at least now I have a benchmark. Mental note made," he says. "So...the...music. That's something...huh?" Of coures he says this after some guy named DJ Deejay gets off stage, probably playing something akin to techno industrial.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Don't even joke about that," Peggy says a little bit too quickly to the joke about crashing a plane into the Arctic Circle. That was the single worst moment of her life. She has not spoken with him about it. She won't if she has any say. But she certainly is not going to be ableto sit and deal with him joking about it. Not yet. Things are too new again and she doesn't want to think about the day she died along with him. At least, that was how it felt.

She quickly turns to focus on the stage as the DJ person walks away while the crowd screams. "I have no idea what that was but it certainly wasn't music," she says with a shake of her head. She brings up that rose and sniffs it before tucking the stem into her jacket so she can keep it close but have her hand free.

At that moment, the next group goes up to the stage. They have a bass and are dressed in classic zoot suits. That gets her attention. "What have we here..." Then they group breaks into a swing number.

Captain America has posed:
"Hey...look...something I've heard..." he says with a grin and he moves to take your hand, walking a little more quickly and he pulls you in close. He doesn't do real swing dancing becuase, well, that's hard. And if he were to try he'd be out of his league. All the strength and agility in the world and he still doesn't know how to do the hand thing where you put the arms over each other's head and somehow walk out of it. And so he pulls you in and his hand goes around your back to curl around your hip, the other taking one of your gloves hands, and he says, "Will you dance with me, Miss Carter?" But before you answer he starts to move, doing more of a two-step than anything else, steping into you, and away, and into you, and away, turning you in a quick circle to the rhythm without doing anything too complex. It's simple and easy, a lot like him, but it works.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Although she can swing dance, it isn't something that this crowd would really allow for even if Steve knew how. Peggy is more than happy to take that offer. "I would love to, Colonel Rogers," Paggy says as she falls into step with him. One hand is in his. The other hand goes up to his shoulder in a proper dance position. They move well together, perfectly in step. Her attention is on his face though.

She had lived years without him. She had moved on with her life. Then she had come to this time line thinking to continue her work. Only to find him again. On one hand, she feels she should be keeping him at arms length. Letting him in again means she could be hurt again. It was what she had done after his death. Shut everyone out.

There was no worry about letting him in though. Really, she had never let him out. She had never gotten over him and that love was still there. She just knew that he had been here for years, living his life. It was wrong of her to think things might be as they once were. She would take her moments while she could though.

Captain America has posed:
He continues dancing quietly, and he slows it down even as the band plays, not that he's winded but more becuase it makes the moment feel longer. As he holds you there a deep breath is felt, and a release....a release of years of waiting to do this. "Say..." he says. "Do you think that place is still open? The one where you were going to teach me how to do this for real? Because if it is, hopefully they play better music. If we have to do all our dancing to this modern stuff, I don't think we're going to have a very good year...at least date wise," he says with a chuckle though it also means he's clearly intending to date you for a bit. At least another one after tonight.

And then the song ends and he leans back as he turns, "Look," he says, pointing to the ball as it's showing 11:59 on the clock and he turns, slightly, facing it, guiding you to stand in front of him.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Well, that's a good sign. He intends there to be at least one more date. With the phrasing, perhaps several more. "Swing dancing was all the rage not that long ago from what I've read," Peggy says, having been researching this time and all she's missed in between. "I am certain that I will be able to find something. If you would seriously like to learn. What we have been doing is wonderful though." There is a faint bit of color in her cheeks as she says that.

As he motions to the countdown clock, she appreciates it since it will hide her embarassment. She settles in front of him, daring to lean back against him as she watches the ball slowly beginning to decend as the countdown continues ticking away. "Steve?" she says over her shoulder, peeking up at him. "Thank you. For this."

The crowd begins to countdown with the clock. Ten...nine...eight...

Captain America has posed:
Happily swaying, the clock continues to tick down. His hand stays wrapped around your center, as he whispers to you, "Don't be silly," he says. "Thanks for waiting so long...." he says simply. And as you look up at him to whisper he looks down, and while the clock continues to count down and the ball drops in the Big Apple, Steve doesn't see. Well he does, in the reflection of Peggy's eyes, before he watches everyone clap and the whole of New York seems to erupt.

And with so much action, so much excitement, things go still as he turns Agent Carter around to face him, looking into those eyes, and he smiles. "Happy New Year, Peggy," he says, and like something out of a photograph he leans down and shows one thing - he's at least seen enough tv since they last saw each other to know how to kiss. For his lips press firmly to Peggy's, her typically worn red lipstick and all not a factor to him as he presses a kiss to her lips for the ages...one decades overdue, his arms sliding around her back, and as he leans forward, Peggy likely will have to slide a hand up around him to keep any sense of being grounded, and the muses can mark off a chapter in their book and the bards can begin to sing of a kiss of the ages, as this becomes the sixth most passionate, most pure kiss joining the other five from The Princess Bride.